Gene!, “X6 Music”
Gene! recently teamed up with fellow Chicago creative 103 Beans on the new single “X6 Music”. This track stands as one of the most successful and anticipated releases from the pair to date, with hype building on social media in the weeks after it’s all-platform release, as fans eagerly awaited the accompanying “X6 Music Official Video”, published just over a month after the track's initial September 13th release on October 18th, 2024.
“X6 Music” is upbeat and full of energy from the jump, with both GENE! and 103 Beans providing punchy and clean vocals overtop an insanely bright instrumental. Digital pixie chimes create a now iconic soundscape for their braggadocios verses. This beat and the almost-addictive loop of retro & spacey bells was conceived by underground producer and Gene!’s “Garden gang brotha” strmbwy @strmbwy.
Gene!’s “Ice on my neck like a chandelier” bar hits perfectly as the beat glimmers with crystal iridescence, mirroring his own shine. Heavy bass and dark punchy drums join this upbeat symphony with the introduction of 103 Beans’ verse, creating a dynamic world of emotion within the track.
X6 Music was recorded at the Dojo Studios in Chicago, IL, by Jxnoir, Gene!’s “favorite engineer” who works at the studio. Gene! is thankful that during the creation process for this track, “Everything was done by people (he) work(s) closely with and consider(s) friends.” The Dojo has played a key role in the making of “X6 Music” with an official music video being filmed on-site by Chicago underground director, “carefree ant” @carefreeant. “It’s gonna be a movie so everyone make sure to tune in.”
These visuals showcase the pair dancing & vibing to the track in various locations and rooms across and around Chicago’s Dojo Studio. Flashing lights, crazy color filter effects, snappy transitions, and stylistic digital distortion create the perfect video environment for this track.
Gene!’s original vision for this track focused on being “Energetic, Turnt, and Piped up”. The fun edits and shots from Carefree Ant joining the activities of Gene! and 103 Beans at their studio session perfectly encapsulates this positive celebratory feeling.
While the party life is one way to enjoy “X6 Music”, Gene! hopes listeners “make it their own and make it personal. Art is open to interpretation and whatever you enjoy doing I feel like ‘X6 MUSIC!’ Can be a fitting soundtrack for it. Just make sure you turnt lol. Energy is the word of the day cuz that’s what we bringing on this track.” His aim is that when fans listen to “X6 Music”, they “wanna party, hustle, turn up. Just anything with a lot of energy man when you facing a big task, when you in the gym and you need that motivation or whatever, it may be this the song for you. Overall it’s just about being young, lit and comfortable in your own skin man.”
Outside of the recent recording session for “X6 Music”, Gene! is known for his wild antics and interesting stories while shooting music videos. In his previous RSO Underground Exclusive Interview from June 12, 2024, Gene! Recalls a psychedelic-infused luxury hotel experience while filming his music videos for “Alone” and “Deep”.
“Rented out this fancy shmancy hotel downtown in the chi called the Drake, expensive for no reason lol but it looked great, had my homies over had some girls come out for the shoot. The shoot was all over the place cuz my guy @broprollysleep had just came in from Philly that day and between me tryna get my shit together and him being jet lagged shit was kinda crazy plus I had just checked in the hotel that day so everything was literally a mess man. Long story short tho we got it done even though we started super late, and at some point during the shoot I had consumed maybe 2gs of some STRONG mushrooms lol and was tripping balls taking off my shirt and embarrassing myself in front of the girls. So after they leave I’m up all night long drinking with the good homie big Samo just getting wasted of this fifth of Irish whiskey. And we ended up making it through the whole night, came down and we’re still up in time to enjoy a great sunrise on Lake Shore Drive right after. Ten of ten moment.”
Gene! understands the value in the visual aspect of music. In the age of short-term video-based social media algorithms, providing interesting visual aesthetics to coincide with your projects is a keystone to building and maintaining a modern online music following. Gene! Says, “my fans know I stay on the tiktoks, trillers and etc lol.”
Gene!’s story is constantly being written and molded with each new project and venture he pursues. Beginning as a young creative in the small town of Milledgeville, Georgia, his path to becoming a staple of Chicago’s underground and connecting with artists like 103 Beans and the “Gotham City Bat Fam" Collective has been an incredible journey. “I love to create, I love movies, music, fine art and dining and so whenever I get a chance to rap, cook, make art etc it’s a blessing.”
His lyrical process is free-flowing and spur-of-the-moment. “It usually just starts with the right beat or the right moment of inspiration and from there, the song makes itself more or less.. I usually channel the beat though I let the beat speak to me then I respond.” Although for X6 Music, Gene! “did write (his) verse for this particular track before we even hit the studio though so I had a framework already there when we recorded.”
Not everything for “X6 Music” was set in stone before entering the studio, the track unfolded before Gene! as “Beans surprised (him) with a super fire verse and that was that man we just made it happen… Man my boy snapped with the 2 and a half men line lol. One of our buddies loves old ass nostalgic shows and he was over a little while before we recorded this song watching 2 and a half men and I think it really stuck with beans cuz we record and he punches in ‘I was in a trap with my brother and my lil son like 2 and a half men’, and I just thought that shit was crazy especially for a punch in off top. And the relevancy of us just watching it the week before. Perfect. And I think a lot of people are familiar with that show and will appreciate the line and the wordplay.”
Despite the strong performances from both, Gene! remains as his own biggest critic. He stated in a recent interview with RSO Underground that, while he is admittedly happy with the final results of the song, there are moments he nitpicks that he could have been “tighter” on the delivery. “Every song I learn something new tbh. How I can flow better, how I can be on beat more or deliver certain vocals better. It’s a journey and a process and honestly that’s the best part is just going through the motions and seeing your progress one month to the next or even a year down the line.”
In an exclusive interview with RSO Underground, Gene! Speaks on his future working alongside 103 Beans on upcoming projects for 2025 and beyond, along with sharing a message to the world of, “Stay humble, stay grateful. Love those that love you cuz genuine people are rarer and rarer nowadays. Shit watch yo health watch what you eat and put in your body and never be afraid to be yourself. Never be afraid to lose anyone who don’t benefit you either just keep pushing keep sticking to your goals keep doing you. Nothing is as bad as it seems and it’s all temporary so whatever you going through you got this.”
RSO Underground Interview with Gene!
Who are you? (Where are you from, what is your creative story/journey)
What’s good, for those who aren’t familiar with me already, I go by GENE! Also known as chef gene you know the deal. Currently residing in Chicago IL, originally from milledgeville GA man. My story is still being wrote but I love to create, I love movies, music, fine art and dining and so whenever I get a chance to rap, cook, make art etc it’s a blessing. I been at it a couple years now but really I’ve drawn and made music the majority of my life.
What project are you currently rolling out and what is the story behind it?
MAN BRO! We got some heat rn lol. Me and my partna 103 beans just dropped our single, “X6 music!” On all platforms maybe a month ago or a few weeks back and it’s been one of our best performing songs to date in terms of streams and social media presence so it’s a blessing. Everything was done by people I work closely with and consider friends so that’s great as well. The beat is by my good Garden gang brotha strmbwy and we been locked in for a minute now on beats and visuals. The song was recorded by my homie and my favorite engineer Jxnoir at the dojo studios Chicago, and we have a video coming out this Friday October 18th shot by carefree ant (blue butterflies ) on site at the dojo. It’s gonna be a movie so everyone make sure to tune in.
Describe the project in 3 words.
Energetic. Turnt. Piped up.
What influenced you to create this project?
Life man. We just talk about how we feel and what we going through etc. then you embellish them stories and make it sound cool fa the audience. I usually channel the beat though I let the beat speak to me then I respond.
What is your typical writing process for tracks/ What made the creation process for this project unique?
Man like I said it usually just starts with the right beat or the right moment of inspiration and from there the song makes itself more or less. I did write my verse for this particular track before we even hit the studio though so I had a framework already there when we recorded.
What emotions or lessons do you hope listeners take away from the project?
I hope they feel cool. I hope the song makes you wanna party, hustle , turn up. Just anything with a lot of energy man when you facing a big task, when you in the gym and you need that motivation or whatever it may be this the song for you. Overall it’s just about being young, lit and comfortable in your own skin man.
What did you learn during the creation process.
Every song I learn something new tbh. How I can flow better , how I can be on beat more or deliver certain vocals better. It’s a journey and a process and honestly that’s the best part is just going through the motions and seeing your progress one month to the next or even a year down the line.
How did the final product differ and evolve from your initial idea?
Honestly It didn’t differ too much. I had a vision and the execution was pretty decent. Beans surprised me with a super fire verse and that was that man we just made it happen. A few things might could’ve been tighter on my own delivery but all in all it went exactly how I wanted and expected it to go.
In what vibe or situation do you imagine people listening to this song?
Man I hope they make it their own and make it personal. Art is open to interpretation and whatever you enjoy doing I feel like “X6 music!” Can be a fitting soundtrack for it. Just make sure you turnt lol. Energy is the word of the day cuz that’s what we bringing on this track.
Do you have any promotional materials for the project (music videos, graphics, artwork, ect.) Who was involved in creating those?
Hell yea man you know and my fans know I stay on the tiktoks , trillers and etc lol. But yea man we got a really great video dropping on Oct 18th and by the time this article comes out shit it might already be online. It’s shot by my boy carefree ant who’s an amazing cameraman and has done some great work for some of my peers in the Chicago underground scene so yea that’s gonna be a banger man. Get in tune with him for all your visual needs .
How does this project fit with the rest of your discography? (Preparation mixtape for an upcoming album, single release, 1st EP in a trilogy, ect.)
Honestly it’s just a single rn. Me and beans work very closely though and we have many many more singles and videos on the way as well as a project sometime late this year or early 2025. We been had a project recorded for about close to a year now honestly and it’s just been delayed. We don’t wanna rush anything, don’t wanna put it out the wrong way or rush the rollout so we been taking our time with the shit and just tryna get it close to perfect as possible. Then there’s getting the art together, getting the videos , getting the promos etc. Releasing a quality project can be an extensive endeavor fasho.
Are there any “easter eggs” or hidden aspects of the project we can discover?
Lol . Cinque Draco. That’s all I gotta say. The real ones know.
What is next in your creative journey?
Shit who knows man. Just more of everything. More art, more blessings , more money. Taking shit to the next stage fr.
What is your favorite part(s) of the project? (Section of beat, specific lyric, transtion, ect.)
Man my boy snapped with the 2 and a half men line lol. One of our buddies loves old ass nostalgic shows and he was over a little while before we recorded this song watching 2 and a half men and I think it really stuck with beans cuz we record and he punches in “ I was in a trap with my brother and my lil son like 2 and a half men” and I just thought that shit was crazy especially for a punch in off top. And the relevancy of us just watching it the week before. Perfect. And I think a lot of people are familiar with that show and will appreciate the line and the wordplay.
Where and when can we find the project?
Man it’s out now anywhere where you can stream music and it’s available on tiktok, instagram and all other socials as an official sound. The video will be dropping on my GENE! YouTube page though.
Do you have anything else to add?
Man shit just everybody keep streaming the song so we can bring you more heat and reinvest that stream money into more and better projects.
What is your message to the world?
Stay humble, stay grateful. Love those that love you cuz genuine people are rarer and rarer nowadays. Shit watch yo health watch what you eat and put in your body and never be afraid to be yourself. Never be afraid to lose anyone who don’t benefit you either just keep pushing keep sticking to your goals keep doing you. Nothing is as bad as it seems and it’s all temporary so whatever you going through you got this. Love y’all as well and especially my supporters; I love y’all to death specifically. There’s no Gene! Without y’all. Thank you.
Check out Gene! and 103 Beans Everywhere!
Gene! PRODBYEUGENE @ChefGene98 CHEF GENE
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